Disclaimer
This story is based on characters from Xena, Warrior Princess, The Pretender, Scarecrow and Mrs King, Remington Steele and CI5 - The New Professionals and is an indirect sequel to 'The Slayer and the Wiccan'. These characters do not belong to me and have been borrowed for the purpose of this piece of fiction. They will be returned intact. This is an Alternative Universe story.
Footnote
Athena and Aphrodite are based partly on the characterisation seen on Xena, Warrior Princess and partly on known records of the Olympian Goddesses. Athena has survived the events of 'Motherhood' (XWP), just! This is an alternative universe where the characters of Scarecrow and Mrs King and Remington Steele have been brought forward to the present day. How is this is an unofficial sequel to 'The Slayer and the Wiccan'? Because the characters of Jarod, Miss Parker, Athena and Aphrodite play a very important part in the next official sequel, which is being worked on now and I'm trying to set the scene for that sequel. Please bear with me. I'm a very fussy writer, so the official sequel, which is called 'Singing With The Devil', may take time.
REDEMPTION OF THE SOUL
Mount Olympus - Ancient Greece
The Olympian Gods were crushed. Xena had ripped them apart like a tornado that the gods themselves might have unleashed. Aphrodite, having seen the bloodbath and having remained in hiding throughout the battle, came out and crouched tentatively next to Artemis, The Huntress. She felt for a pulse but found nothing.
"I'm sorry, Sis," She said.
She closed Artemis's eyes and got to her feet, her beautiful blue eyes full of tears. She walked into the throne room and saw the mess that the battle had made. She saw Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, the architect of the events that led to this bloodbath, and walked over to her. She crouched down beside her and placed her hand on Athena's shoulder. It was still warm and that caused Aphrodite's heart to skip a beat. Was she still alive? Aphrodite reached for her Sister's neck and felt for a pulse. At first there was nothing, but further exploration revealed a slight murmuring. Aphrodite acted instinctively and, ignoring her hatred of the blood that oozed out of Athena's abdominal wound placed a hand on the wound.
"Please let this work," She said.
The healing process began almost immediately. However, the damage was extensive and difficult to heal on her own. She needed help.
"Cupid!" She called.
Nothing! Aphrodite grimaced in pain and felt the weariness of her efforts to heal catch up with her.
"Cupid, this is your mother, get yourself down here now!"
Cupid arrived in a flash of light. He looked around at the carnage.
"What in Tartarus happened here?"
"Never mind that," Aphrodite snapped "Your Aunt needs help." Cupid looked at Athena's prostrate body.
"She looks pretty gone to me."
"Get yourself down here and do some serious healing."
Listening to the tone of his Mother's voice, Cupid placed his hand on top of his Mother's. The glow emitted from both of them increased and accelerated the healing process. It was slow and energy sapping, but eventually the tissues started to knit together and the wound healed. The problem was that Athena had lost a lot of blood, enough for any mortal to now be dead. But then, Athena wasn't mortal, she was a God. That should have been an asset in any chance of recovery. Aphrodite prayed to what was left of the God's that was right. She and Cupid took their hands off the wound.
"Please, Sis, I don't want to lose anybody else."
She saw her son almost collapse on the floor, exhausted by his exertions. She was tired herself, but strong enough to pull herself next to her Sister and place her body next to hers, her arm slung protectively over Athena's chest.
Mount Olympus - Ten Minutes Later
Athena woke up and felt the sharp pain hit her instantly. She gritted her teeth and rode the storm. As she did so the memories of the battle flooded back. Xena driving her sword into her; Ares confessing that his betrayal of his own family was due to the affection he had for Xena; his healing of Gabrielle and Eve, an action which robbed him of his godhood. Yet, she was still alive. How? The pain constricted enough for her to feel somebody lying next to her. She tried to turn but felt the pain return with a vengeance.
"It's okay, Sis," Aphrodite said.
"Aphrodite?"
Athena saw Aphrodite's smiling face.
"Hi there!" Aphrodite said.
Athena grasped her sister's arm and comprehended immediately what had happened. Aphrodite, her airhead sister, a person who would run a mile at the sight of blood, had committed the ultimate act and healed her.
"Thank you," Athena said weakly.
Aphrodite hugged her sister and burst into tears of delight and gratitude. They held each other close and refused to let each other go for some time.
New England - August 2003
The car came to a halt in the middle of nowhere. The driver, a tall leggy brunette wearing a long black leather jacket covering a stylish dark suit, got out angrily and kicked the tyres out of frustration.
"Trust me to get this pile of junk," She said.
She looked around and saw nothing but trees and the gathering mist that punctuated the warm late summer day.
"Oh great!"
She took out her credit card sized cell phone and opened it up. She tried to obtain a connection and could get nothing, not even a small signal.
"Of course not," The Brunette snapped "We're miles from nowhere, what did you expect!"
She threw the cell phone angrily away and stormed back to the car. She got back in and pulled her jacket up to keep her warm. This was going to be a long night.
"Jarod, if you've sent me on another wild goose chase, I'm going to kill you."
The Brunette, Miss Parker, switched off the car lights to preserve the car's batteries. The sound of an owl unnerved her slightly, causing her to huddle tighter.
"Correction Jarod, you're officially dead!"
The Owl hooted in seeming agreement.
New England Freeway
Athena sat behind the steering wheel of her Black Jaguar and smiled at the sight of the young couple pulling off the freeway and disappearing up a side lane. She had been stuck behind these two for the last five kilometres and, although she was amused by their antics, she was also concerned. One, what they were doing was bloody dangerous and two, she was right behind them and would have been caught if their antics had created an accident. Now that she was free, she upped a gear and gained some speed. She slipped on some music and Ella Fitzgerald came through the speakers causing her to relax even more. As she drove she was thinking that the centuries had gone by as fast as she was moving down the freeway, centuries that had seen massive changes. Athena had witnessed the birth and death of nations through world wars, holocausts and famine. She had also observed the advancement of technology, which included the invention of weapons that would have made her brother Ares purr with delight and vehicles which made the Horse and Cart antediluvian. The car that she was driving was the perfect example. Sleek, fast and mysterious like its owner. It had all the mod cons that anybody with wealth, influence and power that Athena had would have in such a car: A CD Player, power steering and four wheel drive.
"You can get home a lot faster," Aphrodite had told her when she first saw the car.
"Probably," Athena said "But, I think that would attract too much attention. You know the type of work I do."
"Too well," Aphrodite said.
Athena was 'Paul Temple', a writer with a habit of getting involved in the investigation of crime, and with every Paul Temple there had to be a 'Steve Temple'. Aphrodite had filled that role on more than occasion. However, for ten years, the role was shared with a woman called Gwendoline Hunter. Gwen was a leggy brunette with dark haunting eyes and a passion for leather. Between 1935 and 1945, Athena, Aphrodite and Gwen helped Britain and the United States out of many tight holes. They had cracked several Nazi spy rings; helped Hercule Poirot solve many cases, although his pride would never allow him to admit it; and dug Melinda Pappas, Janice Covington and Indiana Jones out of more trouble than they had hot dinners. They were of course fully aware that Mel and Janice were descendants of Xena and Gabrielle and because of that, Athena felt obliged to help them, if only to atone for trying to kill Eve.
"There is a wisdom in not making yourself obvious to people who might exploit you," Poirot had told Athena once.
That was true now as it was then. Her mind drifted to Jarod Malone, somebody who might have benefited from Poirot's insight. He was pretending to be a history professor researching family lineage. She had guessed fairly quickly that Jarod was no professor. He was good, he knew what was talking about and he certainly had that professorial air about him. Except, Athena knew that he was a fraud and challenged him. He didn't deny it, suggesting that this was the first time somebody had caught him out. However, when she heard Jarod's story, of how he was taken from his parents as a child, made to reconstruct events only to find that those events were being corrupted by the powers that be, she felt anger that she hadn't felt for some time. She learned about the reasons why he had to run and a joint search for mothers believed lost with the woman who had chased him for the last six years - the spitting image of Gwendoline Hunter known as Miss Parker. The sound of Ella Fitzgerald finishing broke her reverie. She sighed in disappointment and with a practised hand changed CD's. This time to a CD with Second World War year hits. As Glenn Miller's 'In The Mood' started, she thought of Xena, Gabrielle, Eve and her brother Ares. She thought of how she disowned Ares by condemning him to mortality, a crime fitting for such an act of treason. However, Xena, Gabrielle and Eve were different. She remembered the night she appeared before the Warrior Princess, her Daughter and her Bard and Soul Mate. She remembered Gabrielle pulling a grown up Eve behind her for protection.
"I'm not here to hurt you," Athena said "I just want to talk."
"I'm listening," Xena said her hand on her Chakram.
"I want to make a deal," Athena said.
She stepped forward causing both Xena and Gabrielle to adopt a defensive pose. This was turning into a scene. Athena stopped and held her hands up in apology.
"Talk!" Xena said.
Athena took a deep breath.
"There has been a great deal of suffering on both sides," She said.
"Caused by you," Gabrielle reminded her.
"True!" Athena admitted "And I bitterly regret what I've done. I was trying to prevent something that wasn't meant to be prevented."
"You should have thought of that before you tried killing my daughter," Xena said.
"Also true!" Athena said "I can only apologise for what I did. I know I can never repay the damage that I've caused."
"What is your deal?" Gabrielle asked.
Athena held out her hand.
"That if you don't hurt what remains of my family, I guarantee on my word as the Goddess of Wisdom that I will help yours throughout all eternity. I cannot stop what is to be, but I can ensure that help is available as and when required."
Xena looked at Gabrielle and then at Athena.
"Are you looking for forgiveness?" Xena asked "Because I cannot give you that. You cost Gabrielle and myself twenty five years of our lives."
"I'm looking for us to begin again, to forget what happened," Athena said "I want to atone for what I did to you, to Gabrielle and to Eve."
"What exactly are you offering?" Gabrielle asked.
"A promise that I will not harm your family and a guarantee that my sword will be at your side for all eternity."
"That is a great deal to offer," Gabrielle said "One thing puzzles me, what exactly do you mean by 'I cannot stop what is to be'?"
"Both you and Xena will die soon. Xena at the hands of an executioner in a far away land, you not long after you give birth. This will happen within the next three years."
Xena and Gabrielle grasped hands tightly. Athena extended her hand and touched the joined hands. Her gray eyes looked at Gabrielle's hazel and Xena's dark eyes.
"I cannot stop what has already been predestined," Athena continued "But, I can ensure that your souls are protected and will go on throughout eternity. That is the deal I offer you."
Xena and Gabrielle looked at each other. Their fates in this life had been sealed, but they now knew that their souls would live on.
"What would happen if we don't accept?" Xena asked.
"Then I cannot protect you," Athena said "Your souls may survive, they may not, but, I cannot guarantee protection in any shape or form."
"Deal!" Gabrielle said.
Xena looked at her in astonishment.
"What choice do we have? This way we guarantee a future."
Xena shook Athena's hand.
"Deal."
The sound of a car horn broke Athena's preoccupation. She saw the driver of a red Ferrari flash past with his horn blaring in anger.
"Idiot!" Athena said.
She took the turning off the freeway at a sign marked Clare County. However, as ventured down that road, she could feel the mist come up as if from nowhere.
"Oh great!" Athena said with feeling.
New England Country Lane
Miss Parker lit up her second cigarette in a matter of minutes and took a long drag. The nicotine invaded Miss Parker's bloodstream and had the effect of calming her down. She had come to this god-forsaken hell-hole to find a man who had a connection with both hers and Jarod's mother. Jarod had found him two months before and had e-mailed his address to Miss Parker suggesting that she should listen to him. This was the first time she had got free of the constant attention of the Triumvirate and her brother Lyle and, of course, the search for Jarod. She took another drag and snuggled further into the car. A minute later she heard the sound of a car engine. She got out of the car, went to the centre of the road and waved violently. The Black Jaguar glided to a halt in front of her, the lights of the car causing Miss Parker to shield her eyes. The driver, however, didn't get out causing Parker to approach the car and knock on the window. The car window came down to reveal a beautiful auburn haired woman with gray eyes. Quickly the admiration that the Jaguar owner had for Miss Parker disappeared to be replaced by a very sexy, alluring smile. Not fooled by that, Miss Parker leaned with intimidation on the car door, using tactics that always scared Broots and the sweepers. The Jaguar owner looked into Miss Parker's eyes cooly.
"Have you got car trouble or do you greet everybody like this?" Athena said, her beguiling smile maintained.
Miss Parker was stunned by this woman's aloof demeanour. She saw the bewitching smile on her face and began feeling intimidated herself, a sensation that she hadn't felt in some time.
"The car's broken down," Parker stammered.
"I assume you haven't got a clue why."
"I wouldn't need your help if I did!" Parker snapped trying to gain some sort of control of her feelings.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"A lift into town so that I could get help would be useful."
"I could do that," Athena said "Or I could take you to my home, have you spend a comfortable night in a nice warm bed and make breakfast for you in the morning before calling AAA and having somebody pick your car up and giving you a rental as a replacement."
Miss Parker looked doubtfully at Athena.
"I could, of course, take you to the Bellamy Brothers who would fleece you for every penny that you have and make the thirty minute ride to pick up your car a living hell," Athena's smile become broader "I have to warn you that they have forced themselves on more than one vulnerable young woman. You may have to use that gun that you have behind you."
Miss Parker unconsciously reached behind her and then snatched her hand back in embarrassment. She looked at Athena and sighed. She got off the car door, walked to her car, got out a small suitcase and slipped gracefully into the passenger seat of the Jaguar.
"Good choice," Athena said.
Miss Parker buckled up just as Athena drove off. Without asking permission, Parker took out a cigarette and lit it up. As a concession to the small glare that Athena gave her, she opened the car window to let the smoke drift out. Miss Parker looked at Athena and took in her auburn shoulder length hair, her beautiful gray eyes, her expensive taste in clothing and the way that she held herself. She was beautiful and probably had men queuing halfway across the state to date her, she thought, this woman was no shrinking violet.
"Like what you see?" Athena asked.
Sharp as well, Parker thought.
"Sorry!"
Athena smiled
"Don't be," She said "I have a thing for pushy, leggy brunettes with an attitude."
Miss Parker felt herself smiling. She took another drag of her cigarette.
"Well," Athena suddenly said "What do I call you?"
Miss Parker looked at Athena.
"You are going to spend the night at my house," Athena continued "I have to call you something."
"Parker."
"Parker what?"
"Miss Parker."
Athena shrugged in acceptance.
"Okay, quid pro quo, what do I call you?" Parker asked.
"Athena."
"Athena what?"
"You don't have a first name, I don't have a last name."
It was Miss Parker's turn to shrug. Athena continued driving in silence. Miss Parker continued smoking occasionally glancing at Athena. Athena reacted by switching on the CD player. Soft jazz came out, this time from Bix Beiderbecke. Miss Parker found herself settling back into the leather passenger seat and relaxing to the Beiderbecke sound. Before long she closed her eyes. Athena found herself lightly touching Parker's cheek and quickly pulling that hand away when Parker stirred slightly. She had a tear in her eye.
"You have a beautiful grand-daughter Gwennie," Athena muttered.
Athena brushed her hand over eyes to clear the tears and drove on.
Athena's Home
Athena pulled up outside a Georgian style house with a mixture of modern double glazing and gothic architecture. It felt right that someone like Athena would live in a place like this - secluded, completely out of the way but breathtaking at the same time.
"Parker!"
Miss Parker stirred suddenly.
"What is it?"
"We're here."
Miss Parker woke up fully and looked at the house.
"Wow!"
Athena smiled at Parker and then got out of the car. Miss Parker just sat there admiring the view.
"Well, are you going to get out or are you going to sleep in the car all night?"
Parker grabbed her bag from the back and got out. She followed Athena into the house and saw an antiques paradise. Everything in the place could be valued in the millions. In the hall there was an antique chest probably from the Queen Anne period with a Grandfather Clock directly opposite. Parker saw Athena check her watch with the Grandfather Clock.
"It was given to my family by Queen Victoria herself," Athena explained "One of my ancestors helped a member of her family out of a little difficulty concerning a series of murders."
"Jack the Ripper?"
"No," Athena said "It was a little after that."
Parker nodded and decided not to press her further, just yet. Athena was glad because it was a little white lie. It was Athena herself, combined with Sherlock Holmes and Aphrodite, who saved Count Harold Fortescue from a date with the gallows after proving that he couldn't have been the Ripper copycat that had been terrorising the Home Counties for four months. The killer was in fact a Doctor who lived in Purfleet and was a drinking friend of the Count's. The irony of the case was that the killer, a Doctor John Hampton, was using the fear the Ripper cast a couple of years before to cover up the real motive - the murder of his wife to obtain control of a massive inheritance. Athena watched Parker go into the living room and reminded herself to tell her that story, once she got to know her that is. Gwennie was fascinated by the story, she thought as she followed Parker into the living room and saw her gaping at the mixture of antique and modern. To the right was a hi-fi with top of the line speaker systems, nearby was the latest wide-screen television with both a VCR and a DVD system. In an antique bookshelf, itself priceless, sat a series of classic and modern movies both in video and DVD.
"This is incredible!" Parker said.
"It's home," Athena said.
Parker looked at her.
"That is an understatement," Parker said "You have everything."
"Not quite," Athena said "Do you fancy something to eat?"
It was the first time that Parker realised that she hadn't eaten for most of that day. She had left the Centre early that day in order to find Jarod's contact and obtain the information the pretender had meant her to find. She hadn't banked on getting lost, having the car break down and running into Athena.
"Yes, I'm famished."
"How do you like your eggs?"
"Over easy," Parker said "I also like my bacon crisp."
"Over easy and crisp coming up," Athena said.
Parker watched Athena leave and sat down on the sofa. A picture of three women caught her attention. She got up to look at it closer and saw that it was a picture of Athena, a blonde haired woman and her.
"What?"
She looked at the signature and the date which said 1936. Parker's heart almost stopped beating for a second whilst she tried to take in what she had just seen. She looked around and saw more modern Polaroids of Athena and the blonde but Parker's look-alike was missing.
"What's going on here?" Parker muttered.
The Spare Bedroom - Four Hours later
Parker got out of bed and slipped on a dressing gown. She left the bedroom and wandered down the corridor towards the toilet. She saw the second spare room slightly open and took the opportunity to slip inside and have a look around. The room was tastefully decorated with less antiquity and more modern stuff, yet there was something about the room that suggested that the owner was well lived. There were some erotic pictures on the wall, some miniatures. A couple were large and took centre place. One in particular took her eye and shocked her to her very foundations. It was a replica of the picture of her double, Athena and the blonde. This time all three were naked and erotically posed. She even noticed Athena's hand on her double's thigh suggesting that there was something going on between them. Miss Parker didn't know what to make of it. It was certainly something she wanted to discuss with Athena when the time was right. That, however, wasn't now. She needed Athena's help. She left the bedroom and pulled the door ajar. A side door opened and Athena entered, her face reddened with tears. She went over to the nude picture of her, Parker's double and Aphrodite that Miss Parker examined and touched Parker's double lightly. "Jarod's right," Athena said "I've got to tell her about you, Gwennie. I've got to tell her about our love for each other and my fondness for her."
She kissed the tip of her hand and placed it lovingly on the picture of Gwendoline.
Athena's Home - The Next Morning
Athena was already sitting at the table of her kitchen when Parker entered dressed in the same clothes she had on the day before. Athena had been true to her word. She called AAA to have somebody pick up Parker's car and tow it to a reputable garage for examination and repair. Within an hour of the call, a replacement arrived which Athena signed for.
"I must ask you to keep everything that has happened quiet," Athena told the AAA man.
"No problem," He said.
The delivery man got into his truck and left. Athena saw Parker sit at the table opposite and smiled at her.
"Sleep well?"
"Eventually," Parker said
She poured herself out a coffee from the peculator and took a piece of toast out of the rack, which she placed some jam on.
"What are your plans?"
"To do what I came here to do."
"Which is?"
"To follow up a lead a friend gave me about what may have happened to my mother."
Athena closed her eyes and grimaced. This was it.
"My friend told me of a man called Harcombe who lived on a farm a couple of miles away."
"Did."
Parker looked at her suspiciously.
"His farm burnt down a couple of months ago," Athena explained "The police still aren't hundred per cent sure what caused it. There is talk of arson, but no proof."
"I suppose you conducted your own enquiry."
"I poked around yes," Athena admitted "If it was arson, the culprits covered it up well."
"Do you know where this farm is?"
"Of course."
"Can you take me there?"
"If you like," Athena said "But, surely you want to examine the place alone. Unless of course you want the company."
Miss Parker nodded with a small smile.
New England Country Lane
They took Parker's rental for two reasons. Firstly to give Parker a chance to get used to it, secondly, Parker would concentrate more on driving rather than talking. It didn't work as it made Parker more talkative.
"So," Parker said "Are you some sort of detective?"
"I've been known to help the authorities with their enquiries now and then. Mainly I write under a pseudonym."
"What type of stuff?"
"Some historical fiction, one or two political thrillers, the occasional non fiction books. Mostly Crime fiction."
"Could I have read one of them?" Parker asked.
Athena smiled.
"Depends on if you have time to read," She said.
Parker shrugged. Athena was probably right. With everything she has to do, she hardly ever had time to sit down and read a book.
"Okay, Quid Pro Quo," Athena continued "What do you do? I assume with the gun and the way you dress, you are some sort of intelligence agent."
"Not quite," Parker answered.
"We have another hour before we get to the Harcombe farm. Maybe you can tell me what exactly you are."
"Maybe I'll have to kill you if I do," Parker said.
Athena chuckled.
"It can't be that bad."
Parker glanced at Athena and saw her bewitching eyes. For some reason, she couldn't resist trusting those eyes and the person behind them. Her normal aggressive persona had been pretty much shot to hell over the last couple of days and that was down to Athena's calm maturity and common sense. Try using cocksure tactics against this woman and she would blow you away without breathing hard. Anyway, she needed somebody to talk to about the Centre. She took a deep breath and began telling a story of corruption, intrigue and murder at a research centre in Blue Cove, Delaware. Athena had heard a lot of this from Jarod's point of view - how he found out that his work had been corrupted by the powers that be and how that led to his escape from the Centre. Parker's story was slightly different in that it supported the aims of the Centre, but not necessarily the method used.
"You're saying that the Centre is a Parker legacy?" Athena deduced.
"Pretty much," Parker said "My family set it up as a centre for research and development."
"This triumvirate took it over and corrupted it for its own purposes," Athena added.
Parker shrugged. It was clear she hadn't thought of it that way before. Athena, on the other hand, had not only heard it before but had on-going battles with something similar throughout the centuries. First it was the church in England who used their powers shamefully to create fear and mistrust in the scientific and the paranormal. She had to save herself, Aphrodite, and descendants of Xena and Gabrielle from being burned at the stake more than once. Then there was the Salem Witch Trials, a disgusting affair based on the vengeance of some spiteful little girls and spread into a nightmare which cost the lives of many good and decent men and women. Athena herself helped put a stop to it by conning the girls into accusing the Governor of New England of being a witch, an action which discredited the girls and caused the investigators to start to doubt their testimony. Eventually the witch hunt was brought to a halt, but, the cost was high.
"Why do you chase Jarod?" Athena asked.
"Because My Father ordered me to."
"And you obey every order your Father gives you?"
Parker's eyes flashed angrily at Athena for a moment. Then she sighed.
"No!"
"That's why you're here, you're looking for answers."
"You already know that," Parker said "Why are you psycho-analysing me?"
"Was I?"
"Stop the crap, Athena!" Parker snapped "I want to know why you're doing this?"
Athena shook her head.
"I want to know what's driving you on, Parker. I want to know why you continue to work for such evil when you know they are corrupt. I cannot believe that this is the Parker legacy, because the legacy can be broken."
"It can't."
"Why?"
"Both Jarod and I are prisoners of the Centre," Parker said "That's why I'm here. I have to know what my mother and Jarod's mother knew. I want to unshackle myself from the Centre and live a normal life."
"And to break the Parker Legacy?"
Parker nodded. There were tears in her eyes. Athena placed a hand on Parker's shoulder.
"I vow to you that it will happen. I will do everything in my power to free you and Jarod from these shackles."
Athena took a deep breath. She had already put in a phone call that would do just that. The phone call had been to Harry Malone, the Commander of the United Nations Criminal Intelligence Task Force and a man who had made more than one approach to her to join the team. All of them had been rejected. However, if the package included Gwen's granddaughter and possibly Jarod and Aphrodite as well, things might be different. At the present moment she had to get something of her chest.
"I have a small confession to make. I know Jarod."
Parker looked at Athena in shock and nearly lost control of the car. She only just managed to get it back under control. Parker brought the car to a halt and looked at Athena in the same way as Xena did as she was about to drive her sword into her. It was an uncomfortable feeling for Athena.
"What the fuck is going on here?"
"Jarod came to me three months ago. He was pretending to be a History Professor researching his lineage."
"You saw through him?"
Athena nodded.
"He was good, he knew his stuff," She said "He made one or two factual errors about Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, that only somebody who knew the period would pick up."
Parker burst into laughter.
"So the Lab Rat is fallible," Parker calmed down "What did he tell you?"
"Pretty much what you told me, from his point of view of course," Athena said "There are another couple of reasons that I knew that he wasn't what he said. However, we need to focus on what we're here to do."
Parker looked at Athena intrigued.
"Something to do with naked pictures of you and me?" Parker pressed.
"Not you, but, that's something else we can discuss later. We're here."
Parker saw the gutted remains of the Farmhouse and frowned. This wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.
Inside the Farmhouse
Both Athena and Parker picked through the ruins and saw the remains of what once was the possession of a proud man. Parker picked up the charred remains of a photograph. On the photograph was a middle-aged man, obviously Harcombe, a woman and two little girls. She dropped the photograph thoughtfully.
"Parker!"
Parker went to join Athena who had picked up an old picture of Harcombe and a woman which looked like Jarod's mother, a younger version of Jarod's mother. She looked happy. She took out a photograph that had been e-mailed to her and Jarod a few months before.
"Jarod's mother," Parker confirmed.
"From the look of the fashion, I would say this picture was taken in the early to mid fifties," Athena said.
"You don't say!" Parker said sarcastically.
Athena chuckled.
"Jarod was wrong about you, you aren't a complete bitch," Athena said "You just act like one."
Parker scowled at her partner and Athena's chuckle turned into a smirk.
"What's so funny?"
"Sorry!" Athena said "You just scowl like somebody I once loved."
"Was he attractive?"
"Who said it was a He?"
Parker looked at Athena and threw all of her personality intuition skills out of the window. The one thing she wouldn't have thought Athena would have been was gay. She looked too beautiful for that. But, then that's preconceptions, they have a nasty habit of fooling you.
"So who was the blonde and my double in the picture?"
"Ssh!"
"Stop trying to avoid the question."
"Ssh!" Athena said urgently.
Parker stopped speaking in time to hear two things, a car pull up and the slight sounds of somebody shouting for help.
"Hide!"
Parker followed Athena into a relatively undamaged closet, small but big enough for two people to squeeze in. The footsteps of three people entered using stealth.
"Shit!" Parker hissed, recognising the sound all too well "They must have seen the car."
Athena slapped a hand over Parker's mouth. They heard the footsteps get closer then heard the muffled cries for help again. One set of footsteps moved away, this was followed a few seconds later by the sounds of a trap door opening. Athena could feel Miss Parker slowly pull out her weapon and gently release the safety catch. Despite the darkness, they could still each others eyes and saw the trust in them. The doors suddenly came open to reveal two Arab looking gentleman brandishing guns. Miss Parker fired one shot hitting the taller Arab in the stomach, Athena quickly kicked the gun out of the other Arab's hand. The Arab went for it, but Miss Parker levelled her weapon at him making him stop.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Naughty!" Parker said kicking the gun to Athena.
The Arab looked at Parker with anger. Athena picked up the gun, a Luger. The Trap Door flew open and the third man came out with a weapon placed on a hostages', a brunette in her early forties, head.
"I suggest you drop your weapons."
Parker swang around and levelled her weapon at the man and his struggling hostage.
"I don't think so!" Parker said.
The man tightened his grip on the hostage and slightly tightened his trigger finger.
"Parker, I think he's going to shoot her," Athena said.
"He'll be dead a split second later," Parker said "And I don't bluff. Your move Punk!"
"Parker!"
"For god's sake, Athena!"
She turned her head slightly and saw that a fourth man had entered, a tall broad shouldered man with a weapon placed at Athena's temple. Athena had already dropped the Luger to the ground.
"As you say, your move Punk!" The man said.
Parker almost threw the weapon on the ground. The smaller Arab picked it up and pistol whipped Parker sending her to the ground, but, not into unconsciousness. Athena struggled to get free, but, found that the man's grip was too strong.
"Tucker," The hostage said "This is between you and me, let these two go."
"Sorry, Mrs King," The man called Tucker said "Same deal goes with these ladies as with your cousin. Tariq, get the troublemaker below. Make sure Mrs King and these two are secure."
Tariq forced Miss Parker to her feet. Miss Parker saw Athena being pushed towards Tariq by Tucker. Athena turned to face Tucker ready to attack but saw the predicament of Parker and the woman called Mrs King and backed down. She allowed Tariq to grab her arm and guide her and Miss Parker down the stairs into the cellar.
The Cellar
Inside the cellar, Parker and Athena saw Mrs King secured back to back around a metal girder with a smaller woman with lighter brown hair but equally afraid. As they were handcuffed in the same way, both Athena and Parker saw a metal box with a timing device on top of it.
"Going to blow us up are you?" Parker spat.
"It's more than that, Miss Troublemaker, It's a nuclear device," Tucker said "I'll be destroying you and half the state. That can change if Mrs King's employers come through with what I want."
"You know the Agency policy," Mrs King said "They wont deal with you."
"You'd better hope you're wrong or you're going to have the death of three innocents on your conscience as you die," Tucker came closer to Athena and Parker "Although I don't know how innocent you two are. There's something about you."
Athena smiled nastily.
"Why do you care?" She said "You're going to kill us anyway."
Tucker shrugged.
"Keep this in mind," Parker said "Consider this the last day of your life. When we get out of here, and we will, I will hunt you down and I will take my time killing you."
"That goes for me as well," Athena said.
"I'm glad you're there and I'm here."
Tucker saluted both of them and turned to Mrs King and her friend.
"Adieu, Mrs King, Miss Holt," Tucker said "Pray that your partners come through for you in the next five hours, I would hate to see you die in such an agonising way."
Tucker turned on his heel and walked up the stairs, followed by the smaller white man. A few seconds later, they heard a gun shot.
"The man you wounded, Parker," Athena said.
"Bastards!" Parker spat.
"I've faced worse," Athena said.
"Who are you?" Mrs King asked from the other girder.
"I'm Athena, the one with the leather fetish is Miss Parker," Athena said "I assume you're Mrs King."
"Amanda King," Mrs King said.
"Laura Holt," Her partner said.
"Thanks for the introductions," Parker said "Now can we discuss we can get the hell out of here!"
"Parker!" Athena snapped "Don't turn into the bitch Jarod said you were."
"And the Lab Rat would know."
"Parker, so help me....."
Athena took a deep breath to calm down. She felt Parker take her hands and squeeze them in apology. They both looked at the metal box.
"Who is this Tucker person?" Athena asked.
"An escaped Federal Prisoner," Mrs King answered "My partner, Lee Stetson and I had him put away after he tried to frame me for the murder of his boss."
"So he kidnapped you for revenge," Parker said.
"That, and a free passage out of the country courtesy of the Agency and the US Government."
"Which isn't gonna happen," Parker said
Amanda King smiled sadly and nodded.
"Which makes us and half of New England radioactive toast if we can't stop that damned thing going off in five hours," Parker said "Oh great!"
"What about Miss Holt?" Athena asked
"I'm Amanda's cousin," Laura said "I'm also a Private Investigator out of Los Angeles."
"Working on the same case?" Athena probed.
"No!" Laura said "I needed to talk to my cousin about a private matter."
"So what happened?" Athena asked.
"Amanda took the day off from work so that she could show me around DC and talk about my problem," Laura began "We stopped at a café for something to eat and these men came up to us with guns. They threatened to start shooting if we didn't come with them."
"You went with them?" Parker finished.
"We had to, people would have been killed," Amanda said.
"I would have done the same thing," Athena added "Go on, Miss Holt."
"They blindfolded us and drove us around for a bit, then they brought us here. They handcuffed us and Mr Tucker told us about the device and how he was going to prime it for destruction if Amanda's agency or the US Government doesn't come through with five million dollars and a one way ticket out of the country."
"When was this?" Parker asked.
"Two days ago," Amanda answered.
"When did he prime the weapon?"
"Three hours ago."
"Shit! Damned idiots!" Parker snapped.
"What's wrong?" Athena asked.
"Can't you see what has happened?" Parker said "Those morons are adhering strictly to Federal policy. Mr Tucker and Mrs King's Agency have already had the discussion and they've already said no."
"Tucker's just up the stakes," Athena deduced.
"He has to," Parker said "He has nothing to lose. He has to show them that he isn't bluffing."
"So what would you have done?"
"Pretend to give in, lure him into a trap and take him."
"As Jarod would have done," Athena guessed.
"The Lab Rat has, more than once," Parker admitted "I'm just using his play book."
"Admit it, Parker, you admire Jarod."
Parker growled. A noise which would have made Gwennie proud, Athena thought. She would often wind up Gwen just to hear that sound, she remembered with fondness.
"Excuse me," Amanda interrupted "Who is this Jarod?"
"Over to you, Miss Parker," Athena said sweetly "This is yours and the Centre's dirty secret."
Parker tried to glare at Athena but found that she couldn't, their position wouldn't allow her to. She took a deep breath and began telling Amanda and Laura about the Pretender called Jarod.
The Cellar - Two Hours Later
"There you are."
Athena stirred slightly.
"Oh no you don't, you're not going to get away with it this time."
"Aphrodite?"
Athena opened her eyes and saw her sister standing there, hands on shapely hips, looking mightily pissed.
"I set you up with a great date, an actress that you like. I even organise the best table in a fancy French restaurant, great wine, good food, fantastic conversation and you go and stand us up, Typical."
"Aphrodite," Athena said holding up her cuffed wrist "I happen to be a prisoner."
"No excuse," Aphrodite said "You could get out of those in ten seconds flat. You're doing this deliberately."
"What the hell's going on?" Parker said stirring.
Parker looked up and saw Aphrodite.
"Who the hell are you?" Parker snapped.
"My pain in the backside sister," Athena said "Aphrodite, I happen to be in very serious trouble here and so is half of New England. Look over there."
The noise woke up Amanda and Laura and they looked at the blonde turn around and look at the metal box.
"So it's a metal box with a clock on it."
"Aphrodite, you've seen a time bomb before, you and I have even been handcuffed to a couple."
"Don't remind me," Aphrodite looked at her sister as the situation dawned on her "You've gone and got yourself into trouble again haven't you."
She looked at Amanda and Laura.
"And you've dragged others into it," Aphrodite said "Sorry ladies, my sister has a habit of sticking her nose into things that is not her concern. It's usually me in your position."
"Who is this idiot!" Parker exploded.
Aphrodite turned to face Parker for the first time.
"Gwen!" Aphrodite looked at Athena " Athena, what have you done?"
"It isn't Gwen and we haven't got time for explanations," Athena said starting to lose her patience "Go over to the box and tell me what time is on it."
"Please," Amanda said
Aphrodite shrugged and went over to the box.
"Sixty five minutes," She said "More than enough time to free yourself and escape."
"But not enough time to get somebody back here to defuse it before it destroys half of New England and sends radioactive fallout into New York State," Athena said "It's a nuclear weapon, Aphrodite."
"Oh great!" Aphrodite said "What do you want me to do?"
"Find Lee Stetson and Remington Steele and bring them here. If you can find Jarod as well it would be helpful. Ask them to get a nuclear expert, somebody who might be able to defuse this bomb."
"Where do I find these people?" Aphrodite asked.
"A place in Arlington, Virginia called IFF," Amanda said "I don't where Remington Steele is."
"He'll be in Los Angeles," Laura answered "But, I can't see how she can get there in time."
"Trust me, she can," Athena said "Find Lee Stetson first, Aphrodite. Go!"
Aphrodite sighed.
"Just stay out of trouble, will you."
"Go!" Parker snapped.
"Alright! Alright!" Aphrodite said "I see you have Gwen's temper."
Aphrodite disappeared into a ball of light, which suddenly became brighter, causing Athena, Parker, Amanda and Laura to shield their eyes, and then faded out into nothingness.
"What the hell!" Parker said.
"My sister showing off," Athena said with a shake of the head
Reminding herself to tick Aphrodite off for yet again exposing her powers in front of mortals, Athena found that she had no choice but to free herself from her handcuffs and free Parker, Amanda and Laura as well.
"We have some work to do," she added "Before either Mr Tucker or Aphrodite gets back"
Whilst Athena approached the bomb to examine it, Amanda and Laura looked at Parker who shrugged.
"Don't ask me, I only met her yesterday," Parker explained.
Athena allowed herself a smile.
"Amanda, Laura, go to the door and see if you can get it open. If not, keep an ear out for Mr Tucker and his friends," Athena said.
Amanda and Laura went up the flight of steps to try the door. Predictably it was locked. Amanda shook her head in Athena's direction.
"Okay, both of you stay there. I want to know the moment you hear anything," Athena said "Parker, I want you to hold the box steady."
"Trigger mechanism?"
"I'm not going to know until I look," Athena said "Please, Parker."
Parker held the metal box and watched Athena take out a small pen knife to prise off the lid. She did it carefully, working the knife along the gap, stopping at the slightest hint of an obstruction.
"Why don't you get us out of here and come back with the bomb squad?" Parker said.
"Because I don't know how long it will take for Aphrodite to persuade Mr Stetson that she's telling the truth and if Mr Tucker returns and finds us not here, he might detonate the bomb out of spite."
"And kill himself!"
"He'll have no choice, his plans would pretty much be shot to hell. We have got to give Aphrodite time to do her work."
Athena could feel herself sweating as finally she prised the lid off to reveal the mechanism underneath. She grimaced as she saw what she expected but didn't want to see.
"A remote control back-up. Damn!"
"Which means he could detonate early."
"And will if he thinks he has no chance of success," Athena said.
"Excuse me," Amanda interrupted "Tucker's not a nuclear expert."
"Then the bastard's hired somebody who is," Parker snarled "That's just bloody great."
"Then I've got to somehow deactivate the remote control back up and hope that 'Dite' comes back with Mr Stetson and that expert."
"Jarod could if he had enough time to read up on it," Parker mused.
"Just hold the case steady," Athena said ignoring the comment.
Parker gripped the case tighter. Athena used the knife to gently free the remote control device away from the main bomb. It had three wires, red, white and blue.
"At least he's patriotic," Parker commented.
"Unfortunately that doesn't help us," Athena said.
She stepped back and Parker relaxed her muscles slightly, but still didn't release the case. Amanda joined them and saw the make-up of the bomb. She shuddered to see that they only has fifty minutes left.
"What do we do?" Amanda asked.
"We have two options," Athena said "We either wait and hope that Aphrodite gets back before Tucker or I have a go at disconnecting the remote control device and hope that it doesn't cause a chain reaction that explodes the bomb."
"I vote for the former," Amanda said "You would be guessing at best which is the right combination."
Athena nodded her confirmation.
"We give it half an hour," Parker said "If your sister isn't back with that expert, or even the Lab Rat with a book on how to defuse home made nuclear weapons, then somebody is going to have to try not only to remove the remote control but to defuse the bomb itself."
"I'd go along with that," Laura said from the door.
Amanda nodded her agreement.
"Okay, thirty minutes, no longer," Athena said.
"What's going to happen if Tucker comes back and he sees that open?" Laura asked.
"He isn't," Athena said.
Parker glared at Laura and gripped the case tighter. Athena gently replaced first the remote control and then the lid. She then stepped back.
"What about me releasing the case?" Parker said.
"Carefully," Athena said.
Parker nodded and gently released her grip and backed slowly away. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw nothing happened.
"Athena!" Laura said.
"Damn!" Athena said "Okay, everybody back to where they were, remember to put the handcuffs back on."
"Do we have to?" Parker said.
"If you want to live."
Parker scowled and moved to her position behind Athena. As she felt the cuffs click around her wrists, she saw Amanda and Laura handcuff themselves together. Angrily Parker gave a slight tug and felt Athena's arm come back with a certain satisfaction
"Yes, Parker, I did put them on," Athena whispered "And yes what you just did hurt."
"Good!"
Athena chuckled.
"Oh Gwen, your Granddaughter is a Spitfire," She said.
"Who is this Gwen?" Parker asked out of mounting frustration
"Not now. I promise you an explanation when we get out of this."
The door opened and Tucker and his two colleagues entered, guns in hand.
"I hope you've all had a pleasant day," Tucker said.
Nobody gave him the satisfaction of an answer. Tucker shrugged and tested the handcuffs for himself. Satisfied with his handiwork he went over to the bomb and looked at the timer.
"Forty five minutes to live," He said "Forty minutes for Mr Melrose and the Agency to give me their answer."
"They don't have to," Athena said "I'll give you what you want."
"Athena, have you gone completely nuts?" Parker said "You can't give into this creep."
"Parker, will you please shut up. I'm trying to save our lives."
And buy Aphrodite some time to come back with help, Athena thought. She looked at Tucker.
"I'm not without influence in government circles. I can get you both your money and your escape route. All I ask is that you let us all go and disarm that bomb."
"Including Mrs King and Miss Holt?"
"Especially Mrs King and Miss Holt," Athena said "Think about it, Mr Tucker. You will not get a dime from the Agency or the government. They will not deal with terrorists. That is policy. If they conduct a deal with you where will it stop. Every crackpot on this planet would be able to extort money out of the United States by just threatening to blow up the Empire State Building or the White House or even a few buildings in Palm Springs. My way, you get your money, you disappear off the face of this planet and nobody need get hurt."
"What about the four of you?"
"If you do a good enough job disappearing, how can we find you?" Parker said following Athena's lead "I work for people who can help you vanish."
"That's true, Mr Tucker," Athena said "Miss Parker's people can help you fade away. Your name will be a rumour backed up by innuendo. What do you say, Mr Tucker?"
"I'm tempted," Tucker said "But, you've forgotten one thing, revenge. I want Mrs King and Mr Stetson to suffer for what they did to me. They ruined me and they will have to pay."
"What about Miss Holt, Miss Parker and myself," Athena said "Do we have to pay. What have the half a million people who live in this area ever done to you to deserve to have their very existence wiped out. What about all those millions of people who will be affected by the fall out?"
"You're breaking my heart."
Athena sighed. Parker shook her head.
"See what I mean Athena, you can't deal with power mad cretins like Mr Tucker," Parker said "There is only one way of handling a mad dog. Have him put to sleep."
"I suppose you're right, Miss Parker," Athena said "I just wish there was another way."
Tucker heard his two colleagues fall to the ground. He spun around and saw Lee Stetson, Remington Steele and Jarod with guns levelled at him, Aphrodite was just behind them. Tucker turned his weapon on Amanda ready to fire.
"Tucker!" Athena said "Give it up, you can't win."
"I can take my revenge."
Tucker fired a shot, just as both Stetson fired and Athena unleashed a lightning bolt from her freed hands. The bolt struck him just as he fired causing him to fire upwards and Stetson's bullet hit him in the back causing him to crash to the ground. Athena got to her feet and approached the stricken man as he lay there dying.
"You're a fool, Tucker," Athena nodded sadly.
"Who the hell are you?" Tucker said grimacing with the pain of the fatal wound inflicted
"Just your average every day mystery writer," Athena smiled.
Men streamed into the room to make the arrest and bundle the men out of the room. They were followed by a auburn haired woman who approached the bomb.
"I suggest you get everybody out of here," Doctor Julia Kelly, the President's personal adviser on Nuclear Terrorism, said.
Stetson and Steele released Amanda and Laura, whilst Jarod extricated Miss Parker.
"Don't gloat, Lab Rat," Parker said.
"As if I would," Jarod smirked.
Parker snatched herself away from the Pretender and stalked out almost brushing Aphrodite aside. Aphrodite was about to make a nasty comment but was stopped by a shake of Athena's head.
Athena's Home - Eight Hours Later
The bomb had been made safe and taken to a secure government site where it was exploded thus ensuring that it would be useless to anybody else daft enough to pull this stunt. Athena, Miss Parker, Amanda and Laura were debriefed and allowed to go. Lee and Remington took Amanda and Laura home leaving Athena and Aphrodite to take Miss Parker and Jarod back to Athena's home to spend the night. There was somebody waiting for them when they got there. Harold Malone, Commander of the United Nations Criminal Intelligence Task Force, the man that Athena had called the night before. He got from his feet, a glass of Scotch in his hand. The problem was that Athena didn't expect Malone to act as quickly as this.
"Mr Malone," Athena said "What are you doing here?"
"I've been here for the last few hours," Malone answered honestly "I've been following your recent adventure with a great deal of interest."
Malone glanced at Aphrodite who smiled meekly.
"Dite?" Athena said.
"Okay, it was Mr Malone who persuaded Mr Stetson that I was telling the truth. All I had to do was get them here for Mr Malone to brief," Aphrodite admitted.
Athena wagged her finger at her Sister.
"Next time tell me," Athena said.
"Maybe there will be a next time. I have an offer for you that involves your Sister and Miss Parker and Jarod here," Malone smiled.
"Your deal is for all of us," Miss Parker said.
"Especially for you and Jarod, Miss Parker," Malone said "I understand you want to be free of the Centre's control, I can arrange that. I can also arrange that the Centre never chases you again, Jarod."
"The only way you can arrange that is if you blew the place up," Jarod said "We will never be free."
"You don't know the power Mr Malone has," Athena said "I did promise you that I will pull out all the stops to free you from the Centre. I wasn't expecting for Aphrodite and myself to be included in the deal."
"You set this up?" Parker said.
"Of course," Athena answered "I think we should listen to what he has to say."
Athena had already made up her mind, but she couldn't do that for Jarod, Miss Parker or even her own sister. Therefore it had to be all or nothing. A few hours later the answer came: Athena, Aphrodite, Miss Parker and Jarod had all been recruited. Things moved quickly after that. The Triumvirate received a visit from Malone with Jarod, Miss Parker and Athena in tow. They were told that the search for Jarod was over.
"If you ever come anywhere near either Jarod or Miss Parker again," Malone said "I will drop on you so hard you will need a spatula to scrape you off the floor. Do I make myself clear?"
Every single member of the Triumvirate nodded dumbly, even Mr Lyle was silent.
"That goes double for me," Athena said "Jarod and Miss Parker are under my protection. If Mr Malone doesn't get you, I will. Bear that in mind."
"Before I forget, you have two other people I want to take off your hands. Sydney Green and Broots," Malone said "They will be tendering their resignation effective immediately."
And that signed Jarod and Miss Parker's freedom.